The lowdown on NFL Draft

By Sam Krumov, CNN

Updated 2044 GMT (0444 HKT) April 25, 2013

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Photos:Who will be the top NFL draft picks?

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – Every year the NFL's 32 teams get to pick, in reverse order according to the previous year's standings, the top college talent. USC Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley is one of the most highly-rated for 2013. Follow the draft live here.

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, seen here training at the 2013 NFL scouting combine, was cut from Louisiana State University's football program last year for violating team rules, and was later arrested for possessing marijuana. The 20-year-old says he wants a fresh start in the draft.

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – This year's draftees will seek to follow in the footsteps of famous predecessors. Peyton Manning, the No. 1 pick in 1998, became a Super Bowl-winning MVP with the Indianapolis Colts, where he has set numerous records.

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Photos:Who will be the top NFL draft picks?

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – Fellow quarterback John Elway, the No. 1 pick in 1983, won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos -- where the Hall of Famer is now Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

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Photos:Who will be the top NFL draft picks?

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell takes center stage at the draft, which is held each year at New York's iconic Radio City Music Hall.

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Photos:Who will be the top NFL draft picks?

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – Last year Robert Griffin III was taken by the Washington Redskins as the second draft pick, and the quarterback was named offensive rookie of the year by the Associated Press.

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Photos:Who will be the top NFL draft picks?

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – Andrew Luck went to the Colts as 2012's top pick, having delayed his entry by a year. Fan groups started a "Suck for Luck" campaign in the hope their team would get the quarterback. He broke a rookie record for passing yards in his debut season. Like Elway, he is a Stanford alumni.

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Photos:Who will be the top NFL draft picks?

Who will be the top NFL draft picks? – Last year a record five non-Americans were drafted higher than the third round. Ghanaian defensive end Ziggy Ansah of Brigham Young University is one of the favored international players this year.

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Story highlights

Top college talent is selected in NFL Draft

Over 250 players are selected by 32 teams -- in reverse order according to the previous year's standings

The Draft is held in New York City's Radio City Music Hall

Event hugely popular with NFL fans

On February 3, the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII in what was a thrilling finale to the NFL season.

While that game was played almost three months ago, don't be fooled into thinking that the NFL went into hibernation.

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For months on end, team scouts, coaches, and officials do their best to evaluate young college talent from across the country in the hope of picking the right players that they are confident will turn into superstars.

In the course of just three days, the NFL's 32 teams get to pick in seven rounds, which amounts to over 250 players being selected.

While many of the aforementioned players pan out and turn into stars, a large number of them flop on the biggest stage.

Think of 1998. The number one pick was Peyton Manning, who went on to become a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl champion.

But the number two pick that year was Ryan Leaf -- arguably the biggest bust in NFL history after he was released just a few years into his career.

Do the latter rounds matter? Most definitely, as one of the most famous diamonds in the rough -- Tom Brady -- was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 Draft and 199th overall.

Brady has since guided the New England Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances, winning three of them.

While the Super Bowl has always been "the" event in the U.S., the NFL Draft has steadily gathered more steam through the decades to be what it is today.

The first one -- held in 1936 -- was held in Philadelphia and featured players' names written on a blackboard from which teams would choose from.

Fast forward to the present day. The event is held in New York City's Radio City Music Hall, with rabid NFL fans allowed to attend, and most importantly, all three days televised nationally with non-stop coverage.

The spectacle of young and promising college football players being selected by legendary NFL franchises now garners so much interest, that day one of the Draft is watched by more people than an NBA Finals game -- that's including LeBron James and the Miami Heat's triumph last season.

How many of the more than 250 players selected will pan out? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: time has cemented the NFL Draft as must-see television in the U.S.